Dandruff comb



J. MATECHIK DANDRUFF COMB Filed Dec. 1e, 1935 pril 5, 1938.

Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to scalp cleaners, and particularly to dandruff combs, that is, combs which are so constructed that they will assist in the removal of dandruff and other scalp deposits.

5 Among other objects, the invention aims to provide a comb of this character which will effectually clean the scalp, which is easily cleaned and which may be used to massage the scalp or may even be used as an ordinary comb. The invention has other objects which will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,-

Fig. l is an elevation of the outer member or body of the improved comb;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the comb body with the cleaning member inserted therein;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the cleaning member per se;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the comb parts assembled as in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified tooth form;

Fig. 6 is a sectional, fragmentary view of the tooth of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View of another form of tooth.

Referring particularly to the drawing there is shown a scalp cleaner comprising a comb-like body l which is provided with a plurality of teeth 9 which are preferably integral with the body and are hollow, and open at their outer eX- tremities. At the points where the teeth 9 join the body of the comb I there are openings 'l and the body of the comb is oiset along the line of the several openings 1, as shown in Fig. 4. The comb l may be of metal, hard rubber or other slightly flexible and resilient material, and while G the teeth 9 may be round in cross section, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 4, they may be square, oblong or semi-circular in cross section.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown aform of tooth l5 having an end with two points or edges formed by i.; a re-entrant angle I6. In Fig. '7 the tooth Il has a prong i8 at the outer end. Whatever form of tooth the comb may have its primary function is to scrape danclruff and other scalp deposits from the scalp and gather them into the hollow inte- 50 riors of the teeth 9. The comb is continually passed through the hair and rubbed more or less gently over the scalp and thus causes the dandruff to be dislodged and become packed more and more tightly in the teeth of the comb. To clean the teeth a cleaning member 5 is employed,

said cleaning member having a handle 4 and solid teeth 6. The size and shape of the teeth 6 are such that they t snugly within the hollow interiors of the teeth 9 and thus when the cleaning member 5 is inserted in the comb body l, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the scalp deposits which have collected in the teeth 9 will be forced out of the lower open ends of the teeth which are to be cleaned. The cleaning member may then be removed manually by sliding the member outwardly in a straight line by means of its handle 4 and the scalp cleaner is ready for further use. Of course the hollow interiors of the teeth 9 facilitate further cleansing, as by hot water, etc.

'Io lock the cleaning member to the comb so that the parts will not separate and become misplaced the comb member l preferably has a recess 2 into which a lug 3, provided on the cleaning member 5, is adapted toengage when the parts are assembled. Thus the cleaning member may be held in such a position that its teeth 5 do not project below the lower ends of the hollow teeth 9 of the comb.

While the member l has more or less the appearance of a comb it is clear that there may be a multiplicity of rows of teeth 9 and thus the member I may more nearly resemble a brush in appearance. Indeed, almost any arrangement of teeth may be employed, even a circular comb be/ ing found useful for the purpose of loosening the dandruff and scalp deposits. The scalp cleaning member is very readily cleaned even while in use by occasionally disengaging the interlocking parts 2 and 3 and pushing down on the handle 4 of the cleaning member whereupon the teeth 6 are thrust clear through the hollow teeth 9. Of course the cleaning member need not be carried on the comb-like member l when the latter is being used as a scalp cleaner.

It will be clear from the foregoing that the scalp cleaner or comb member may have a wide variety of forms and the cleaning member, which is to be thrust through the hollow teeth of the scalp cleaner, will have a more or less complementary form to permit its solid teeth to be thrust through the hollow teeth of the scalp cleaner. Because of the many different forms which embodiments of the invention may assume, I do not wish to be limited to any particular form except as required by the appended claims.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, and a few of the many modica'- tions which are within the scope of the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A scalp cleaner comprising, in combination, a comb-like body which has a plurality of hollow teeth open at their outer ends; and a complementarily toothed cleaning member adapted to be manually inserted in said body to force the contents of said hollow teeth out of said open ends.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member has solid teeth which are sufciently long to project beyond the open `ends of the hollow teeth, when the comb members are assembled.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member and the comb-like body have complemental locking parts which automatically engage to hold the members together but which may be disengaged by an outward pull on the cleaning member; and means on the cleaning member to facilitate such a pull.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is substantially straight and flat, while the comb-like body has a back vwhich is offset relative to the general plane of its teeth, so that the cleaning member may be inserted and removed by a rectilinear motion.

5. A scalp cleaner comprising, in combination, a body having hollow teeth with openings; and a solid cleaning member having teeth adapted substantially to ll said hollow teeth thereby to eject foreign material therefrom.

JOSEPH MATECHIK. 

